The Brewers are playing .600 baseball — and a scintillating .667 if you subtract the rival team that plays 90 miles to the south.

The Cubs have feasted on the Brew Crew this season, winning seven of eight meetings. The next three will be played Monday through Wednesday at Miller Park.

“It will be a fun series, loud and exciting,” Anthony Rizzo said. “When you play the division people you know more, the cat-and-mouse game becomes more real.”

Cats eat mice, but maybe this series will be more like Tom and Jerry.

Asked what effect the Cubs’ domination could have, Kyle Hendricks replied: “Maybe in that they might be coming for us a little harder. They know the outcomes of this season so far. Being in our division no matter what has happened (before), they will be thrilling and competitive games.”

Cubs manager Joe Maddon rested catcher Willson Contreras on Sunday, and outfielder Albert Almora Jr. will come in fresh after starting just one weekend game. Ben Zobrist will be back in the lineup after sitting Sunday.

And Maddon reiterated that closer Brandon Morrow is not injured. He was available Sunday but was not needed in a 7-1 loss to the Pirates.

Ready and willing: When Mike Montgomery’s agent expressed a strong desire to have his client start, Cubs brass told Montgomery: Be ready. It’s a long season.

He clearly has been ready.

With Yu Darvish (right forearm soreness) weeks from returning, Montgomery figures to get many more chances to build on his record of 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA in three games as a starter. His next opportunity will come Wednesday in Milwaukee.

“We needed a pick-me-up, and he’s provided it,” Maddon said. “He is demonstrating to us and to the industry what he’s all about. There’s job security and there’s employment security. Job security is the people you work with, and employment security is the industry. He’s showing now how good he actually is.”

Maddon said Montgomery’s key improvement has been in locating his fastball.

The 28-year-old lefty said of his rise: “I think I'm different, smarter and control my pitches a little bit better.”

First things first: Maddon said he wanted to bat Kris Bryant at leadoff again after the third baseman went 3-for-6 and drew a walk in the Friday and Saturday games. But Maddon said the desire to alternate right- and left-handed hitters trumped that, leading to Javier Baez batting first. Maddon hoped Baez would “rise to the occasion” Sunday, but instead he went 0-for-4, whiffing twice. His on-base percentage is just .279.